Not Dating
by Usuian13
Summary: Buford and Baljeet had only grow closer with each other as time had passed, and now in high school everyone believes they are a couple. Both of them try to clear the misunderstandings without hurting the other, while pinning on each other. Bujeet! Comment please :)
1. It was not a date

Baljeet had seen Poly Carraro walking into the little dinner like she own the place with her chin tilt it so high; one might think she was admiring the ceiling, and she couldn't even see the face of the cashier who was taking her order.

The boy might had a thing against the cheerleader, who now sends towards his table a little smile with flirtatious eyes that made her intentions painfully obvious. Buford smiles back, and Baljeet says something that can be classified as mean about her, and his friend laughs so hard he spills his soda.

Normally Baljeet wouldn't be content with the mess Buford was making, but seen the boy laughing about her made Baljeet feels satisfied. But he was ready to stop there, only because a cute arrogant cheerleader had a thing for his best friend doesn't mean he can disrespect her, after all she hasn't done anything to him.

"You get so mean when we are alone. I love it." Buford says still laughing, and he calmly cleans his mess before Baljeet could get on his case.

"It is the outcome of spending years with the meanest bully in town." Baljeet says without any enthusiasm, but it makes Buford smile wide.

"Ah, You flatter me!" The larger boy says as he stands up to throw all the wet napkins he used. Baljeet lets his eyes roam over his friend as soon as he turns.

It was a hot day so Buford wasn't wearing his football jacket like normally, instead he wears a thin cotton t-shirt that hugs his back tightly. Baljeet tries to only look at Buford hair, brown and short and always messy like it wants to be out of place, and Baljeet just wants to smooth the edges and let his fingers work on that soft mess. The skin on his neck was slightly pink from spending so long on the sun and cover with tiny freckles of many shades, and Bajeet concentrates on counting the little dots until the skin is covered with a thin blue fabric. The light blue t-shirt had been a present for Buford last years birthday from Baljeet, and he had outgrow it in less than six months but he still wears. It makes easier to trace the sharp lines of his shoulder blades, and see each little curves down his thick chest and waist. All the way to the little love handles that Buford fights so hard against, but Baljeet is just thankful for any extra skin that gets accidentally showcase because of wardrobe malfunctions.

When Buford turns Baljeet doesn't move of blush, the darker boy had years of practice of looking without being catch, and he knows the trick is to act like there is nothing to look at on the first place. He brings his eyes back up, slowly to enjoy the little dents and bumps that are form over the fabric, and he thinks of the firm muscle underneath. His eyes stop at an stain right under Buford's chest.

"When would you learn how to eat?" Baljeet asks with a smile and offers a fresh napkin to his friend.

"No. I love this t-shirt!" Buford whines and Baljeet was about to tell him they should go shopping next weekend, but he forgets when Buford lifts t-shirt to suck on the stain.

Bajeet most likely would had stare until Buford called him if he hasn't been distracted by the noise of something falling on the floor. Buford and Baljeet, and everyone, automatically turn their head towards the source of the noise, and they see Poly Carraro standing with her hand partially open ready to receive the strawberry milkshake she had order, the worker giving her the milkshake was looking at her like he didn't understand why she just drop it. The milkshake was a pink mess on the floor and the worker frowns as he knows is his turn to clean the floor, then he looks higher and he sees a guy lifting his t-shirt and exposing his abs. The little dinner reach the same conclusion in less than a second and before anyone could decided what to do, Baljeet was laughing.

He didn't meant to find it so funny, but Baljeet laughs so hard it hurt his stomach and he could hear other people laughing as well -so, it couldn't be so bad. The cashier offers some comfort to the girl, and Buford pulls down his shirt and softly tap on Baljeet's forehead.

The smaller boy looks at Buford's stern face and he stops.

The laughster die and Poly acted like it didn't happen.

"Not nice Jeet." Buford had whisper. It was weird that Buford was the one thinking of others when that role was Baljeet's.

"I thought you said you like me when 'I was mean.'" Baljeet asks feeling regret for had laugh at someone so openly, and anger that Buford would defend her.

"I do! That. That was petty." Buford says and he sits next to Bajeet, his burger long forgotten with everything that had happen.

"PETTY? Me?!" Baljeet asks more than a little offended.

"Yep." Buford answers as he shoves the burger on his face anyways. He knew that there were only two possible ways for Baljeet to react. Silence treatment or lecture.

Baljeet choose the first one.

They finish their meal on silence, and Buford pays because it was his turn. They walk out together and half way towards Baljeet's house he talks.

"Are you going to ...pursue a romantic relationship with her, Poly Carraro?" Baljeet asks softly.

"I'm not into girlies, Jeet" Buford answers looking at his friend.

"I know, But she is so pretty and confident and pushy!" Baljeet didn't want to say that she could chance Buford's mind because they already had the fight and either of them wanted to do that again.

"She is _Totally_ your type." Buford jokes and he hopes Baljeet will understand enough to answer his doubts.

"I had better taste than that!" Baljeet answers immediately.

They stop in front of Baljeet house.

The larger boy steps closer like he is used to, he and Baljeet had learn to share each other's personal space. On the past Buford being that close always made Baljeet wary but now he knows his heart beats faster for different reasons. The smaller boy smiles as he feels the dark blue eyes gaze over him, he feels safe and loved when Buford looks at him like that.

"Hey! Oh.." A sweet voice distracts the boys who only smile at each other before parting away.

"Hey Isa. I'm leaving." Buford says and leaves without caring to hear her answer.

"Hello, Isabella. Are you ready to expand your knowledge on calculous." Baljeet asks with the smile he always has when he talks about math.

"...yeah. Baljeet, sorry for interrupting." Isabella says as they enter Baljeet's house.

Baljeet goes to say hi to his mother and remind her of his study meeting with Isabella. He doesn't asks Isabella what she means until they are safe on his room.

"Isabella you interrupted nothing. Buford was just leaving, and we weren't even talking!" Baljeet explains and he starts opening the calculous one book. He smiles as he begins feeling nostalgia.

"Well, you guys were obviously going to…" Isabella doesn't finish the sentence since she knows that Baljeet isn't very open about that aspect of his life.

"Going to say good-bye, and we did. So you and me could study" Baljeet fills in and gives Isabella a notebook with a problem for her to solve and a pencil. She takes it but she doesn't seem very happy.

"I mean. It was so nice of you to tutor me on your date-day, and I feel bad that I cut you guys short." Isabella explains as she looks over the math problem.

"It is okay- Wait. I am sorry but you are confuse. We were not having a date. So, once again you interrupt nothing. What a silly notion. Buford and I? On a date." Baljeet laughs and shakes his head. He repeats the last sentence on his mind hopping it would chase his desires away.

"Do not go telling this to other people they might get the wrong idea." Baljeet adds to the end, but Isabella just looks at him like he was talking nonsense, something he didn't think she would be doing until Baljeet actually starts with the tutoring.

"...are for real? Like do you actually mean you guys aren't dating anymore?!" Isabella asks sounding sad and surprise.

"Wow. Anymore? We had never date on the first place." Baljeet answers surprise at his friend's imagination.

"No. You guys had been dating for ...years!" Isabella insists.

"I think I would know if I were dating Buford Van Stomm?" Baljeet answers a little embarrassed of the conversation.

"You guys had an specific day were you guys go out together, what you call that?" Isabella accuses Baljeet like she thought he was lying.

"A hang-out-and-all-around. We had very different schedules. He needs to practice with his team and train separately, and I need to study for all my AP classes and college courses. To ensure that our friendship would not die we both agreed to set a time for us to spend time together. Hence the name." Baljeet explains to his friend.

"You walk him to every class?" Isabella asks.

"It is on my way, and I like to quiz him to make sure is not failing his classes."

"You guys when to the winter dance together!"

"We did not find partners on time, and when as friends."

"He literally wrote you a love poem and performed at the cafeteria!"

"It was satarial poem for my birthday! It was a silly fun joke!" Baljeet stands ready to finish their screaming contest before his parents come to check on him.

"We are not dating, and today was not a date." Baljeet states.

Like clockwork Baljeet's mother comes to offer them refreshments, and asks how their studies are going. She smiles and says she would now leave them to concentrate, and she closes the door when she leaves.

"You never talk about Buford in form of your parents." Isabella points out and Baljeet is starting to loose his patience.

"He was my bully! And for a while my mom thought that…" Baljeet doesn't finish, instead he turns back to look at the door. Last year his mom thought that he was dating Buford, so he asked his friend to not come over for a while. It worked, his mom stop asking about the boy with the freckles, but she stop imposing her rule of 'the door must stay open when there is girls on the room.'

His mom thinks he dating Buford.

"You guys had spent together ever valentines since kids!" Isabella says as she points at Baljeet who looks like he can see how people could confused his relationship with Buford with a romantic one.

"...For how long had you hold the belief that Buford and I are...infatuated with each other?" Baljeet asks.

"...three or four years, eh...give or take." Isabella answers as she tries to remember when it was official, but they relationship had advance slowly and gradually.

"And Do you know who also thinks we are dating?" Baljeet asks as he tries himself to think when Buford and him might had cross the line from best frenemies to something that appear to be something else.

"Everyone." Isabella answer without hesitation or doubt.


	2. Not that 'Together'

Not that 'together.'

Buford laughs so hard that he needs to take a pause from the story he was telling, the table is full with his teammates and cheerleaders and they all can't wait to hear more. Poly covers her face as her blush becomes more evident.

"She drops her drink and everyone turns. And Everyone knows!" Buford says as he poses and smiles, the table burst in laughter and Poly throws some french fries at Buford.

"I look like a complete dork in front of Jo!" The girl whines, and the group continues to laugh at her misfortune.

"Believe me it is better that way! Before you look like an exaggerated version of 'mean girl,' even your outfit was on point!" Buford laughs at the memory, but mostly he remembers Baljeet laughing. The small indian boy laughed so hard that little tears got stuck on his long eyelashes, his face red and happy and his lips formed a bright smile. The sound of his laughter always made Buford feels like nothing on the world was a precious as Baljeet being happy.

"Your boyfriend was the first one to laugh." Poly remembers the little indian boy eyeing her like he was getting ready to fight her over Buford, she wasn't even into guys.

"That little thing!" Another cheerleader asks.

"He is tiny!" The guy next to Buford adds.

"He can be pretty scary when he is jealous -wait. Jeet isn't my boyfriend!" Buford almost forgets to correct her.

"Again with this! Dude, the whole team knows you're gay, you don't need to hide your boyfriend from us!" One of his teammates comments but Buford only blushes and denies it once again.

"Guys stop. Baljeet is just Buford's best friend!" The captain says and he turns and winks at Buford, the whole table erupted with laughter once again. But Buford looks down at his food, his appetite gone.

"It so cute! I actually got distracted because you two are like 'the couple.' If I could I would vote for you guys for prom king and...king (?)" Poly says and questions how would it work, but soon she is distracted with her own fantasy of she and the cute cashier, Jo, dancing.

"I think you guys would be adorable!" A girl says as she visualizes both men dancing.

"Except, we are not dating." Buford says.

"I would vote for you two." His captain says trying to sound supportive.

"That's nice, and pointless 'cause we aren't dating."

"You can see he really likes you by the way he looks at you." One of the girls says and that angry Buford.

"We are not Together!" He says a little too laugh, and after saying it aloud he could feel his heart breaking.

The table becomes silence, and for first time people start to believe Buford.

"Why?" Poly asks, it feels like a stupid question and it kinda is, but she feels like she needs to know.

Buford looks down, his food is cold now, and he sighs and wishes Baljeet was there. Everything's better when his better half is with him, and Baljeet could explain, because Buford doesn't really know.

"That's just not what we are." Buford says and no one asks him to elaborate.

Buford stays quiet as he makes excuses on his head of why it wouldn't work. The door of the small fast food restaurant opens, and Buford sees Baljeet walk in like he had heard his prayers.

"I gonna say 'Hi' to a friend." Buford tells his group but he doesn't wait for anyone acknowledgment, and he runs towards Baljeet.

The darker boy was holding a yellow note and reading over the orders.

"Is this brain food?" Buford asks once he is next to Baljeet. The nerd smiles and turns from his note to Buford.

"No. But it would had to do. The Mathematics' brains are starving." Baljeet says with an effortless smile. Buford snorts at their personal joke, since both of them are athletes they just use different muscles.

"But that food has like...a bunch of fructose syrup, how is Pete or Peat or Pette...how is that guy eating it?" Buford asks as he peeks on the list.

"Petter. Is having a salad. You are usually good with names." Baljeet explains and he advances a little more on the line.

"I don't like Petter, he sounds like an arrogant idiot. And who orders salad at a burger place?!" Buford asks, Baljeet laughs a little.

"You have never meet him. And I found his determination to avoid harmful substances inspiring. So much, that I am too, ordering a salad." Baljeet says looking down on the taller boy.

"Baljeet No, don't be the weirdo who orders salads. There is a smoothie place a street from here. I would get you something nice if you don't order a salad from here. Plus I don't trust my veggies being done by meat makers. It ain't natural." Buford says as he lightly pulls Baljeet from the line.

"I still had to buy my teammates' orders, and you are not alone." Baljeet says as he looks at the table of the 'popular kids,' who look back at them with curiosity. Then Baljeet remembers what Isabella said.

'Everyone thinks you guys are dating.'

But the presence of Poly Carroro bothers Baljeet even more than that lose rumor.

Buford leans over until he can whisper on Baljeet's ear.

"They are all a bunch of loser! Even you are cooler than them." Buford whispers, and his breath tickles Baljeet's neck. He smiles and looks at Buford who waits for an answer.

Buford only waits for Baljeet, ready to pick up the smaller boy and take him to the 'king's smoothies.'

The cashier clears his throat to bring both boys back to reality, and Baljeet blushes and hurries to order.

They wait for the order near the pick up counter.

"Well, since you are paying… I would be a fool to decline your offer, and I am no fool." Baljeet says, and he glares at Poly Carroro from the corner of his eye feeling like he is winning some type of competition.

They talk of everything that had happened that day. Any specially hard math problems or strategies for a game, who got wrong their equation or who stand on the wrong position, and what would they do once they can actually hang together.

"My mom said that she already tried to throw away that t-shirt like seven times, but I keep rescuing it, so she won't wash it anymore. And I can't get that stupid stain out. So, can we go shopping?" Buford asks as he remembers his favorite t-shirt, though it did fit him a little tight.

"I'm sure we will find another plain blue shirt." Baljeet rolls his eyes at Buford's worries.

When the order is ready and each picks up a bag.

"Actually I like black better." Buford says like he is remembering.

"...So you want to buy black t-shirt?" Baljeet asks as they walk out of the restaurant and set course to the smoothie place.

"Yes, but I also want one that you choose. You were the only one that started giving color cloths, and pastels!" Buford says as he remembers his surprise when he opened his present and saw the many pastel colored t-shirts.

"I did not think you would wear them!" Baljeet explains like he had many times before.

"I Know. I just didn't wanted to let you win!" Buford says and Baljeet laughs.

"Not everything is a competition, Mr. Van Storm."

"Lies, this type of behavior could get you disqualified Mr. Tjinder!" Buford points the other with his finger, and Baljeet puts the larger arm down.

They enter the smoothie place and welcome the cold air.

"Plus, you said I look nice." Buford adds a little embarrassed.

Baljeet beams at the commentary, and walks a little faster.

"Hey!" Buford says before trying to catch up even though Baljeet had only move a few steps from him. With time they had become like planets; attracted it to each other, and pull together by some sort of magnetic force.

They order their smoothies, Baljeet lets Buford choose for him, since the boy knows his favorites and he is paying.

"Carrots, orange and celery. Eww" Buford says as he gives Baljeet his drink.

"Thank you."

"I would had thought that you more than anyone would understand that green stuff only belongs on green smoothies!" Buford says as he makes a face and opens the door for Baljeet.

The darker boy laughs at his bully's irritation of the mix of color fruits and vegetables. And old lady walks by them and glares at them like they were committing a crime.

"What's her problem?" Buford notices her, but he doesn't say anything else about her, instead he returns to talk about beets and tomatoes.

Baljeet feels sick at the idea of being anyone's target for hate, but he instead concentrates of what she thought.

They look like a couple, they are friends and that's obvious, but they also look like a couple.

"Are we dating?" Baljeet asks, because even if it embarrassing, he prefers to know what Buford thinks instead of trying to guess.

Buford spills some of his smoothie and chokes on what he was drinking. The boy turns feeling his cheeks heating up and his throat closing.

"No. Why? Do you want to?" Buford answers even before cleaning himself.

"What? No, maybe. Why? _Do you want to?_ I just asked because I heard people saying that it looks...like we are dating…" Baljeet says and drinks from his smoothie.

"People talk! That's what people do!" Buford hurries to push the conversation to a safer topic.

"That is very true. But of late, I feel like we had giving them many cues that can easily be mistaken like...something else, and I would hate if this affect your everyday life…." Baljeet explains and concentrates on looking at his smoothie, like he is trying to count the tiny fibers of carrots or celery.

"I don't care what people think!" Buford hurries to answer, but he could only hear how fake that sounded until it left his mouth.

Buford cares what people think, he had work very hard for his reputation and he had fought to keep it intact for years.

"...oh...It makes no difference to you if our friends think we like each other or not. Is our relationship not of enough value to be correctly label, or you simply do not care?" Baljeet asks trying to think rationally, but he could feel his throat close and his eyes sting.

He knows that Buford is a big fan of his own reputation, and he had fought plenty of people for misunderstandings or aggressive behavior. So, if Buford cares about his reputation but he doesn't feel the need to quiet the rumors, them maybe he doesn't care about what people think about them because it isn't important to the bully.

It didn't matter enough.

The thought was heavy and sour.

"No! That's not what I meant!" Buford insists, reaching Baljeet's thought path and trying to say something right.

"We both know you care about your reputation, is not like you to try to ignore rumors…" Baljeet states as he feels his sadness grown into anger, and the cold smoothie on his hand feels a lot like a weapon.

"Yes. I do. But ...I'm trying...to grow up (?)" Buford tries to lie but he knows that if there is someone he can't lie to is Baljeet.

"Does our relationship does not deserve your attention, a social status, or a well put lie?" Baljeet asks as he readies to throw his drink, not wanting to listen to whatever Buford had to say.

"Is not a bad rumor, okay?! Listen, Jeee-" Buford starts but he is interrupt by the splash of the orange cold liquid against his face.

"What?" Baljeet asks as he runs Buford's last sentence through his thought process.

"You threw Orange and Celery at my face! I love my face Jeet!" Buford says as he looks through the paper bags of fast food for napkins.

"I am sorry...what were you saying?" Baljeet asks even though he knows that he should let the conversation die. He knows that they had become such close friends by never rushing anything. Just enjoy each other's time and wait for the next of their relationship move naturally.

But now Baljeet feels like they had wasted time.

"It's disgusting! Fruits and vegetables shouldn't share the same cup. I was telling you early..." Buford answers, not really ready to continue their conversation and exposed too much of his heart.

"...let us cancel our weekend plans…" Bajeet says as he feels his brain pushing dormant ideas he thought he would never truly consider.

"What?! I should be angry at you for ruining my t-shirt! I lot 2 t-shirts this week Baljeet! I need to go shopping!" Buford haft jokes but he worries he might had said something wrong, and Baljeet can be quite irrational when mad.

"I just want you to had your weekend free for when I ask you on a date!" Baljeet says blushes, he looks down embarrassed at the chain of event; first he fought with Buford, then he threw a smoothie at his face, and now he is going to ask him on a date.

"oh...OH!"


End file.
